Mag-fed vs tube-fed.
- Thread starter Buster95
- Start date
Still alive
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rainy mosquito infested part of BC
A lot depends on your purpose.
Mag fed guns are faster to reload and better for competition vs. a tube fed, if you run a pump gun. But mags are heavy and I’ve never seen one cycle perfectly so far, out of any pump, let alone a Grizzly. Mags are prone to damage also. Due to their size, weight, and length, they are not well suited as a backpacking shotgun.
If I could practice quad loading a lot, I would probably pick a tube fed over a mag fed myself.
Mag fed guns are faster to reload and better for competition vs. a tube fed, if you run a pump gun. But mags are heavy and I’ve never seen one cycle perfectly so far, out of any pump, let alone a Grizzly. Mags are prone to damage also. Due to their size, weight, and length, they are not well suited as a backpacking shotgun.
If I could practice quad loading a lot, I would probably pick a tube fed over a mag fed myself.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
The tube fed grizzly’s have always been more reliable than the mag fed version, the mag fed can be made reliable if you like to tinker or tweak the mags. The mags have always been the weak link in the equation. I love my mag fed grizzly but I’ve worked it over pretty hard to get it to feed 2 3/4” shells reliably but I’d pick a tube fed version if I had to make the choice over again, buy one of each and see what you like best.
Pros, mags are quick to load and unload if you’re in and out of a vehicle or quad. It’s easy to switch from birdshot to buckshot or slugs if you have dedicated mags for each. Mag capacity is more than the standard tube fed version, even more so with the 8.5” version.
Cons, mag fed grizzly’s tend to be heavier due to the weight of the mag, the grizzly mags don’t reliably feed 3” shells as the mags aren’t long enough to feed the longer shells. You can’t port load an mag fed with an empty mag, the mag follower blocks the port and stops the bolt from closing. Mags get in the way while sling over your shoulder and snag on branches when hiking in the thick stuff.
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If I am out hiking through the bush, the tube fed is clearly more streamlined, and you are going to load it prior to use, so it doesn't need to be fast to load.
The mag feds stand out when you need a gun to go from unloaded to loaded in a hurry. For instance, I keep a mag fed Rem 870 handy at home, with magazines loaded with various loads. Slugs in one, buckshot in another and one with some smaller shot. This way you are ready to deal with bears, coyotes, cougars or small pests, all with one easy to load firearm.
I could see magazine fed shotguns being fast to reload in 3 gun competitions, although I don't participate in them. The REM DM is very reliable, always works but it does have 2 drawbacks- the magazines don't hold ammunition well if they dropped, and the magazines need to be pulled out and firmly seated in. Don't expect them to "drop free." Although with a bit of practice it's easy to deal with quickly.
Can't comment on the Grizzly Mag feds, I've never tried one, although I had a tube fed 14" one that worked as well as any other pump gun.
To date I've got a little over 1000 slug rounds through one of my 870 DM's without a problem. The other one has seen only a few rounds, but I did kill an aggressive bear with it this year. Point blank range, too.
The mag feds stand out when you need a gun to go from unloaded to loaded in a hurry. For instance, I keep a mag fed Rem 870 handy at home, with magazines loaded with various loads. Slugs in one, buckshot in another and one with some smaller shot. This way you are ready to deal with bears, coyotes, cougars or small pests, all with one easy to load firearm.
I could see magazine fed shotguns being fast to reload in 3 gun competitions, although I don't participate in them. The REM DM is very reliable, always works but it does have 2 drawbacks- the magazines don't hold ammunition well if they dropped, and the magazines need to be pulled out and firmly seated in. Don't expect them to "drop free." Although with a bit of practice it's easy to deal with quickly.
Can't comment on the Grizzly Mag feds, I've never tried one, although I had a tube fed 14" one that worked as well as any other pump gun.
To date I've got a little over 1000 slug rounds through one of my 870 DM's without a problem. The other one has seen only a few rounds, but I did kill an aggressive bear with it this year. Point blank range, too.
I have a mag fed AS46 and it is fickle with more malfunctions than I would like.
I also have a Versamax and can quad load. Takes a little practice but it works good when it clicks. I have seen someone grab / load 6 - I have big hands but I don't think I could manage that.
Only issue I have had is when you run the gun dry and don't realize, I've automatically grabbed 4 but couldn't get them in the gun cos the bolt is back and the gate is locked, you then either have to try and drop one in gun and then get the remaining 3 in the tube (usually ends with dropping one or more) or drop the bolt and put 4 in the tube then cycle the action to get one in the chamber.
The only time I'd buy a box mag fed shotgun is if I needed the speed and ease of loading/unloading, for instance if I was jumping in and out of the truck all day. I prefer not to hunt like that and have an 18" single shot for that purpose though.
Any detachable mag fed firearm(not just shotguns):
Pros: Fast to load/unload, possibly larger capacity than a tube, you can have more than one.
Cons: any and all detachable mags in existence have slop that will grow with time and potentially affect feeding. As well, often they require lip adjustment to feed correctly or possibly adjustment to seating, or even feed ramp modification on the firearm itself.
Tube fed firearms:
Pros: Generally speaking, flawless feeding for the life of the firearm, extra weight out front to tame muzzle rise.
Cons: Slow loading, slow unloading, can be lower capacity with a short barrel. (Can't feed pointed ammunition in rifles)
Pros: Fast to load/unload, possibly larger capacity than a tube, you can have more than one.
Cons: any and all detachable mags in existence have slop that will grow with time and potentially affect feeding. As well, often they require lip adjustment to feed correctly or possibly adjustment to seating, or even feed ramp modification on the firearm itself.
Tube fed firearms:
Pros: Generally speaking, flawless feeding for the life of the firearm, extra weight out front to tame muzzle rise.
Cons: Slow loading, slow unloading, can be lower capacity with a short barrel. (Can't feed pointed ammunition in rifles)
If you commit to learning how to run the tube fed guns, they are ever so slightly slower than a mag fed gun run by someone of equal skill. It isn't so much of a difference that a poorly skilled shooter with a mag fed is better than a skilled shooter with a tube, though. Reliability is generally better with tube guns, and a tube mag is quicker to reload than an empty box mag. Additionally if you invest some time and thought in carrying ammunition, "loose rounds" are generally much more convenient to carry than 12 gauge box mags. A six round velcro strip of 12 gauge shells will fit in an AR mag pouch, a 12 gauge box mag will not.
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I found that a mag fed shotgun because your using soft squishy plastic cased shotgun shells they really don't play nice together. LOTS of miss feeds and jams if it doesn't feed out of the magazine 100% perfect and is off by even 1mm your gonna get a jam any touch on metal will cause the shell to squish and bindup. Way faster to reload tho a magazine fed one so with a few extra magazines it can give you quite a lot of pew's. For fun plinking where reliability isn't a real concern a mag fed is a bit more fun. You don't hear many issues with 870's or 590's having feeding issues and they are duty guns for tens of thousands of police officers and soldiers around the world.
Unless u have a PM5 ^^. ive yet to come across anyone who has had one jam, mine has been thru three 3 gun seasons now without issue. Would totally trust my life to its functionality. However there are more tube feds that i could say the same for ...
- Location
- Eastern Ontario
Dont but the knock off brand mag feeds. I have owned a few and they were jam o matics invest the extra and but mossberg or remington
I have a griz mag... 100% reliable never had it miss feed yet... after markets mags had an issue till I figured out the lips were touching the manual lock release bar.. once I pushed them in 100% on them too. I have put at least 1000 rounds through it now.
